I've said this before but look I've known some dumb cats - Rosie is not a powerhouse of mental agility for example - and you can teach dogs some impressive tricks (though that's more because a cat will say "smurf off" if you try to control it) but even the dumbest of cats does not need to be constantly watched in case it eats its own poop.

Dogs are wonderful and I adore them. I'd love to have a big dopey retriever or lab or something like that. But they are about as far from smart as something can be whilst still remembering to breathe.

As for the enslaving humans thing, it's more respect than anything else. Yes, cat people know exactly how beholden they are, and they know exactly how cunning cats can be. Look at any fictional portrayal of crazy future slavery and you will find something that enslaves through, for example, psychic powers or genetically engineering slaves to want their servitude. Well, we've already got that right here on Earth. All cat people know they are slaves, and they are perfectly happy with that state of affairs. Any species that manages this degree of magnificent bastardy is truly worthy of respect.